Question:
I have 2 arces of lawn that I want to fertilize. I am willing to spend some time, but not much money. I like experimenting a bit. I have enough space to make a few inconspic. test patches if needed. Here’s what I’m going to attempt: I can buy 50lb bag of urea fertilizer (46-0-0) for about $ 8.00 . I understand that I could not spread it thin enough in this dry form and keep from burning the lawn.
Wherever you are buying the urea should also have other commercial (farm) fertlizers at about the same price / bag. Look for one that has a lower rating in nitrogen(say 20-25%) and about 10% Phos and 10% Potash. That will diminish the chances of getting a burn and still allow you to use your normal lawn spreader. Also the phos and potash will strengthen the root system. I’ve used that type of fertilizer for clover on a septic sytem bed and it gives good growth and strong plants for a lot less than the name brand lawn fertilizers. Don Dickson — Diplomacy is the art of saying ‘Nice doggie!’… till you can find a rock.
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You shouldn’t have any problem applying prilled urea dry to your grass as long as you apply it to the grass when the foliage is dry but even if you do apply it to wet foliage and get some foliage burn the plants will grow out of it quickly but it looks like hell but the first cutting should take care of it. If you don’t remove the cuttings but let them recycle N should be enough . If you use much N keep your mower handy and sharp. Harold Lindaberry visit OXGORE website at http://www.epix.net/ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I don’t normally read this newsgroup, so I greatly appreciate any replies emailed to me. Thanks. I have 2 arces of lawn that I want to fertilize. I am willing to spend some time, but not much money. I like experimenting a bit. I have enough space to make a few inconspic. test patches if needed. Here’s what I’m going to attempt: I can buy 50lb bag of urea fertilizer (46-0-0) for about $ 8.00 . I understand that I could not spread it thin enough in this dry form and keep from burning the lawn. I want to dissolve some in a little water and put this mixture in my hose-end sprayer, and it will get further diluted as it is sprayed. My sprayer can be set to various ratios, e.g. 1 tblspn/gal Most time-release lawn fertilizers have around a 15% nitrogen. For now I am not worrying about other fertilizer components. I was going to start with 10% N, unless convinced otherwise. Can anyone suggest 1) a recipe for the mixture of urea in water into my sprayer 2) setting for my sprayer Jeff
Response:
Well, as far as being "practicle", you may want to factor in the length of time that organics provide nourishment to the turf. If all fertilizers worked fast and then disappeared, you would have a valid point. However, a good pelleted organic will release nitrogen and other nutrients for as long as 3 months, at just the rate that the grass needs for best health. This changes financial comparisons quite a bit. I think the organic approach may actually be a lot less expensive in the long run than quick-and-cheap direct feedings with high-analysis synthetics.
Great point Don. Let’s look at what you are saying: Urea runs out in 1 month so we fertilize 3 times in 3 months. This makes $352 per acre + I’ve applied 3 pounds of nitrogen verses 1 pound of nitrogen. I know these cost are acurate because I’ve worked for a fertilizer blending plant for years and we sell and blend with both organics & inorganics. For performance comparisons between leading organic and synthetic fertilizers, just in case you doubt my objectivity on this topic, contact the turf research department at Oregon State University and ask for a copy of a fertilizer study conducted May through October, 1994.
I agree that organics are great. There is lots of great information on organic fertilizers out there. But I believe the original question from Jeff said that he needed the "cheapest" and not necessarily the best! The best results I’ve seen yet are when you use both organics & inorganics together. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – — Bio/Organics Supply Center 3200 Corte Malpaso, #107 Camarillo CA 93012 (Near ocean N. of LA) <http://www.bio-organics.com You can put the Urea out at 100# per acre. Yes, you can put it out dry. Put it out before it rains. We have people who have this size of property buy urea & amonium sulfate from us every day. They put it out and sometimes it may not rain for a week. As soon as it rains, they get great response. There are other fertilizers that you might use for better results (organic, etc…) but for the money you can’t bet it. brand) will cost you $128 to $352 per acre. Not to practicle, huh? If you blend the urea into water you increase your chance of burn. The analysis changes from a 46-0-0 to a 33-0-0 so you will also have to put out a little bit more.
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I don’t normally read this newsgroup, so I greatly appreciate any replies emailed to me. Thanks.
Post it here, read it here! I have 2 arces of lawn that I want to fertilize. I am willing to spend some time, but not much money. I like experimenting a bit. I have enough space to make a few inconspic. test patches if needed. Here’s what I’m going to attempt: I can buy 50lb bag of urea fertilizer (46-0-0) for about $ 8.00
[snip] You are making the classic mistake of thinking that you only need nitrogen on a lawn. Grass, believe it or not, has roots and other parts, and does best if given a balanced fertilizer like 13-16-10 or 6-8-6. If the colour isn’t deep enough to suit you after you’ve given it a complete feed and it’s had time to respond, you’d be well advised to find out if the soils in your area tend to be magnesium and/or iron deficient. If so, epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) or ferrous sulfate can be used to alleviate the deficiency. A lawn fed exclusively nitrogen will not be as healthy as one given a balanced diet. —- Rodger Whitlock "just enough knowledge to be dangerous"
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Well, as far as being "practicle", you may want to factor in the length of time that organics provide nourishment to the turf. If all fertilizers worked fast and then disappeared, you would have a valid point. However, a good pelleted organic will release nitrogen and other nutrients for as long as 3 months, at just the rate that the grass needs for best health. This changes financial comparisons quite a bit. I think the organic approach may actually be a lot less expensive in the long run than quick-and-cheap direct feedings with high-analysis synthetics. For performance comparisons between leading organic and synthetic fertilizers, just in case you doubt my objectivity on this topic, contact the turf research department at Oregon State University and ask for a copy of a fertilizer study conducted May through October, 1994. — Bio/Organics Supply Center 3200 Corte Malpaso, #107 Camarillo CA 93012 (Near ocean N. of LA) <http://www.bio-organics.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You can put the Urea out at 100# per acre. Yes, you can put it out dry. Put it out before it rains. We have people who have this size of property buy urea & amonium sulfate from us every day. They put it out and sometimes it may not rain for a week. As soon as it rains, they get great response. There are other fertilizers that you might use for better results (organic, etc…) but for the money you can’t bet it. will cost you $128 to $352 per acre. Not to practicle, huh? If you blend the urea into water you increase your chance of burn. The analysis changes from a 46-0-0 to a 33-0-0 so you will also have to put out a little bit more.
Response:
You can put the Urea out at 100# per acre. Yes, you can put it out dry. Put it out before it rains. We have people who have this size of property buy urea & amonium sulfate from us every day. They put it out and sometimes it may not rain for a week. As soon as it rains, they get great response. There are other fertilizers that you might use for better results (organic, etc…) but for the money you can’t bet it. will cost you $128 to $352 per acre. Not to practicle, huh? If you blend the urea into water you increase your chance of burn. The analysis changes from a 46-0-0 to a 33-0-0 so you will also have to put out a little bit more.
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Back a few years ago when I had cows, I had large 500 gallon tanks for liquid cattle feed. (Prolix) which was high in all kinds of minerals and UREA. Once the green grass came along, the cows turned their noses up at the stuff. Well with the hot alabama heat and humidity the stuff went sour, and I was faced with the task of getting rid of it. (close to 1,200 gallons). I elected to just feed range pellets for the next winter, and once I decided on how to get rid of the stuff spring was already here. I diluted the stuff with water from the creek, and sprayed it all over a few of my fields. In about a week the grass was so dark green it looked black, and it grew like hell. Was some awesome fertilizer to say the least. It did not have any long term bad effects from what I could tell. Weeds were next to non existent. Had to wait for a couple of rains to wash the stuff off the foilage, as it was one stickky mess for a week or two. foxeye Try spreading it during a rain
The opinions expressed are mine, and mine alone. My wife had no input whatsoever.Remove www from email for correct address. NAR #70031
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What you are suggesting will be counter-productive. The fast-release of nitrogen will create a sudden dark green color and dramatic growth, followed by soil compaction and sick grass. Of a half-dozen leading turf fertilizers tested very extensively by Oregon State turf experts, the one that performed best over a several week period (measures of color and steady growth) was a fish-based pelleted product with a 9-3-5 formulation. The important detail is that of the 9% nitrogen, 7% is water-insoluble, meaning that microbial action is needed to release the nitrogen to plants. It gives the grass a continuous feeding for weeks, at just the rate that the roots can absorb. No waste, no runoff into the drinking water underground! Hitting your lawn with a burst of quick nitrogen would be a huge mistake. Look for either a lower-number organic with a good level of insoluble nitrogen on its label, or an Osmocote-type chemical fertilizer. Your soil will be healthier, and I guarantee the grass will be happier. — Bio/Organics Supply Center 3200 Corte Malpaso, #107 Camarillo CA 93012 (Near ocean N. of LA) <http://www.bio-organics.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I don’t normally read this newsgroup, so I greatly appreciate any replies emailed to me. Thanks. I have 2 arces of lawn that I want to fertilize. I am willing to spend some time, but not much money. I like experimenting a bit. I have enough space to make a few inconspic. test patches if needed. Here’s what I’m going to attempt: I can buy 50lb bag of urea fertilizer (46-0-0) for about $ 8.00 . I understand that I could not spread it thin enough in this dry form and keep from burning the lawn. I want to dissolve some in a little water and put this mixture in my hose-end sprayer, and it will get further diluted as it is sprayed. My sprayer can be set to various ratios, e.g. 1 tblspn/gal Most time-release lawn fertilizers have around a 15% nitrogen. For now I am not worrying about other fertilizer components. I was going to start with 10% N, unless convinced otherwise. Can anyone suggest 1) a recipe for the mixture of urea in water into my sprayer 2) setting for my sprayer Jeff
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Try spreading it during a rain
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I have 2 arces of lawn
The old term for this is a brace of buttocks, I believe. Regards, Roger
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urea-sulfur prills). Urea is incredibly soluble in water (strong endotherm, too. Let it warm back to room temp and more goes in). There will be little retention in the turf. It will be a pulse feeding and then wash through with the first rainstorm.
The other problem with urea is that soil microorganisms often convert the urea to ammonia faster than the plants can absorb it, leaving the rest to volatilize rather unproductively. — Lou Hom K ‘93 http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~lhom
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I don’t normally read this newsgroup, so I greatly appreciate any replies emailed to me. Thanks. I have 2 arces of lawn that I want to fertilize. I am willing to spend some time, but not much money. I like experimenting a bit. I have enough space to make a few inconspic. test patches if needed. Here’s what I’m going to attempt: I can buy 50lb bag of urea fertilizer (46-0-0) for about $ 8.00 . I understand that I could not spread it thin enough in this dry form and keep from burning the lawn. I want to dissolve some in a little water and put this mixture in my hose-end sprayer, and it will get further diluted as it is sprayed. My sprayer can be set to various ratios, e.g. 1 tblspn/gal Most time-release lawn fertilizers have around a 15% nitrogen. For now I am not worrying about other fertilizer components. I was going to start with 10% N, unless convinced otherwise. Can anyone suggest 1) a recipe for the mixture of urea in water into my sprayer 2) setting for my sprayer Jeff
You are going to hose down two acres? I believe an acre was originally the area a man could plow in a day. (It is unclear how this applies to Canadian Doukhobors, who used their womenfolk rather than horses.) What you really need is a conversation with a fellow who honchoes golf courses, or your local agricultural extension so see how many lbs/acre nitrogen you should apply. The kind of turf alters the need and application modality. Fertilizers are typically compounded to very slowly dissolve (e.g., urea-sulfur prills). Urea is incredibly soluble in water (strong endotherm, too. Let it warm back to room temp and more goes in). There will be little retention in the turf. It will be a pulse feeding and then wash through with the first rainstorm. — Uncle Al Schwartz http://pw2.netcom.com/~uncleal0/uncleal.htm http://www.ultra.net.au/~wisby/uncleal.htm http://www.guyy.demon.co.uk/uncleal/uncleal.htm (Toxic URLs! Unsafe for children, Democrats, and most mammals) "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" The Net!
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I don’t normally read this newsgroup, so I greatly appreciate any replies emailed to me. Thanks. I have 2 arces of lawn that I want to fertilize. I am willing to spend some time, but not much money. I like experimenting a bit. I have enough space to make a few inconspic. test patches if needed. Here’s what I’m going to attempt: I can buy 50lb bag of urea fertilizer (46-0-0) for about $ 8.00 . I understand that I could not spread it thin enough in this dry form and keep from burning the lawn. I want to dissolve some in a little water and put this mixture in my hose-end sprayer, and it will get further diluted as it is sprayed. My sprayer can be set to various ratios, e.g. 1 tblspn/gal Most time-release lawn fertilizers have around a 15% nitrogen. For now I am not worrying about other fertilizer components. I was going to start with 10% N, unless convinced otherwise. Can anyone suggest 1) a recipe for the mixture of urea in water into my sprayer 2) setting for my sprayer Jeff